Little Panda: The World Welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo FROM THE PUBLISHER
With fewer than one thousand giant pandas left in the world, the birth of Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo in 1999 was a cause for celebration. Little Panda chronicles the adorable panda's first year, as she grows from a four-ounce newborn to a curious, playful cub.
Award-winning writer Joanne Ryder's appealing, simple yet scientifically accurate text and irresistible, exclusive photographs from the World-Famous San Diego Zoo combine to make Little Panda a treasure for animal lovers of all ages.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
The first giant panda cub ever to survive in captivity in the Western Hemisphere takes center stage in Little Panda by Joanne Ryder, with photographs that follow her from a "pink and pale" cub to the thriving black-and-white Hua Mei (her name means "China-USA") who lives in the San Diego Zoo. With abundant accessible details included in factoids ("Her fur feels much like a German shepherd's), a minimum of text and a maximum of photos, this volume will win Hua Mei many fans. ( Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
The exclusive photographs of Hua Mei, from the famous San Diego Zoo, as she develops from a little cub to a playful giant panda celebrating her first birthday, will captivate kids. At birth, the tiny baby cannot be seen by the scientists eager to view the first giant panda to survive in captivity in the Western Hemisphere. Then the first pictures show a little pink cub with white fuzz. Although she doesn't yet look like a panda and is tiny, Hua Mei is loud. She calls when she is hungry. Her mother, Bai Yun, is about 800 times larger than Hua Mei, but she is gentle with her baby. As the cub grows she develops the dark markings and begins to look like a child's stuffed toy. The pictures chronicle Hua Mei's growth and the care given her by the doctors and keepers at the zoo. Although the panda exudes charm, and even at one year old looks like a toy, the book has a serious message. There are fewer than 1,000 giant pandas in the world and a plea is made to protect them from extinction. 2001, Simon & Schuster, $16.95. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford
Parent Council Reviews
Huz Mei is the first panda cub ever to survive in captivity in the Western Hemisphere. Exclusive photographs from the San Diego zoo staff chronicle Huz Mei's triumphant first year. Readers will marvel at her growth, curiosity, and playfulness. Panda's are truly amazing animals! 2001, Simon & Schuster, $16.95. Ages 3 to 8. Reviewer: S. Kleven SOURCE: Parent Council, September 2001 (Vol. 9, No. 1)
School Library Journal
K-Gr 4-Ryder introduces readers to Hua Mei via photographs taken inside the panda den, and then shows how her days unfold during her first year of life at the San Diego Zoo. The large sans-serif text is infused with adjectives and exclamations, giving a storylike quality to the primary narrative: "Look at her! She is sitting and standing now, eager to take her first steps." Smaller, italicized text gives a factual account of her biological development such as, "Pandas are born blind.-It can take up to four months before a panda will take its first steps." Full-color photographs capture the adorable youngster and her mother engaging in typical panda antics. Readers can see the zoo doctors weighing and measuring Hua Mei in her infancy to becoming a 20-pound youth and playing alongside 200-pound Bai Yun. This engaging book will complement any curriculum about animal extinction and environmental responsibility. It is also an appealing choice for general reading.-Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MD Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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